Tabulating device having stops spaced by two letter spaces



A. MENICANTI' TABULATING DEVICE HAVING STOPS SPACED BY TWO LETTER SPACES Filed NOV. 23, 1964 Oct. 18, 1966 "min", T.

INVENTOR.

BY ADR/AHO NEH/CANT! AGENT United States Patent 3,279,577 TABULATING DEVICE HAVING STOPS SPACED BY TWO LETTER SPACES Adriano Menicanti, Ivrea, Italy, assignor to lug. C. Olivetti 8: C., S.p.A., Ivrea, Italy, a corporation of Italy Filed Nov. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 413,068 Claims priority, application Italy,Nov. 25, 1963, 24,726/ 63 7 Claims. (Cl. 197-176) This invention relates to a tabulating device for a typewriter or similar machine having a carriage transversely movable step by step, comprising a plurality of presettable tabulating stops mounted on a support connected to said carriage, and a counterstop manually settable on the machine for cooperating with said stops to arrest said carriage.

In the known tabulating devices of the above type, the tabulating stops are mounted at an interval corresponding to one step of the carriage, whereby too many stops are required. The carriage is thus expensive to manufacture and, due to its weight, cannot operate at high speed.

In other known tabulating devices, each tabulating stop is presettable in any transverse position along the direction of the carriage movement, thus reducing the number of tabulating stops. Therefore said tabulating stops require an intricate operation for being preset.

The above disadvantages are obviated by the tabulating device according to the invention, which is characterized in that said stops are mutually distanced an interval proportional to a predetermined number of steps of said carriage higher than one and are indiw'dually presettable from an ineffective position to a number of different eifective positions equal to said number, said counterstop being provided with a number of elements associated with said effective positions and mutually distanced according to said step, each one of said elements when said counterstop is so set being located on the path of the tabulating stops preset in the associated effective position.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, and from the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a right hand longitudinal partial sectional view of a tabulating device according to the invention embodied in a manual typewriter;

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view taken on the line AA of FIG. 1 in a first position;

FIG. 3 is the same sectional view of FIG. 2 in a different position.

With reference to FIG. 1, the numeral 5 generically indicates the conventional carriage of a typewriter or similar machine. The carriage 5 is adapted to be transversely moved step by step in a known manner, under the control of an escapement mechanism not shown.

The typewriter is provided with a tabulating device comprising a plurality of presettable tabulating stops 7 V transversely mutually distanced an interval proportional to a predetermined number of steps of the carriage 5, and each one presettable from an ineffective position to a number of difierent positions equal to said number. More particularly, each stop 7 is longitudinally slidably mounted on a pair of slots 8 of a support 6 secured to the carriage 5. The stops 7 are distanced an interval twice the carriage step and are individually presettable from the ineffective position of FIG. I, to a pair of difierent efiective positions I and H, shown by broken lines in FIG. 1. Each stop 7 is adapted to be held in each one of its positions by a leaf spring 9.

Furthermore, the tabulating device comprises at least a counterstop 12 manually settable on the machine for cooperating with the stops 7 to arrest the carriage 5.

Patented Oct. 18, 1966 ice More particularly, the counterstop 12 is slidable on a frame 10 and is pin and slot connected with a lever 15 fulcrumed on a stationary shaft 20, a spring 25 being tensioned between the counterstop 12 and the lever 15. This latter is provided with a tabulator key 16 and is urged by a spring 30 to contact a stationary member 31.'

The counterstop 12 is provided with a number of elements associated to the effective positions of each stop 7 and mutually distanced according to the carriage step. More particularly, the counterstop 12 is upwards bifurcated and is provided with a pair of elements 13,and 14 bent in a manner as to be transversely distanced one stepv of the carriage 5 (FIGS. 2 and 3). When the counterstop 12 (FIG. 1) is set upwards the element 13 is located on the path of a projection 11 of the stops 7 preset in the position I, whereas the element 14 is located on the path of the projection 11 of the stops 7 preset in the position II In the case of .a decimal tabulating device a set of denomination-ally arranged similar oounterstops 12 (FIGS. 2 and 3) are provided. The various counterstops 12 are mutually distanced one step of the carriage 5 and are each one provided with "a pair of elements 13 and I14, whereby each element 13 or 14 of a predetermined counterstop :12 lies in the same longitudinal plane of the other element of the adjacent counterstop.

Finally, the tabulating device comprises a manually operable stop presetting member for individually presetting thestops 7 to one of the effective positions thereof according to the transverse location of the carriage 5 with respect to the printing point of the machine. Particularly, said member is formed of a lever 17 (FIG. 1) fol crumed on a stationary pivot \18 and normally urged by a spring 19 to contact a stationary pin 21. The lever -17 is provided with an L-shaped projection 24 (FIGS. 2 and 3) having a portion 22 adapted to preset in the effective position I a stop 7 placed in a transverse location'corresponding to the printing point of the machine. Another portion 23 of the projection 24 is adapted to preset in the effective position II a stop 7 displaced one step rightwards with respect to the printing point. The lever 17 is also provided with a lug 26 adapted to be engaged by an arm I27 of a manipulative lever 28 pivoted at 29.

The tabulating device operates as follows.

It is assumed at first that the machine is provided with a single counterstop .12, the leftmost one in FIGS; 2 and 3. In the case the stop 7 to be preset is placed in the transverse location corresponding to the printing point, that is in front of the portion 22 of the lever 17 as shown in FIG. 2, by operating the manipulative lever 28, its arm 27 engages the lug 26 and rocks the lever .17 clockwise. The portion 22 displaces now the stop 7 from its ineffective position to the effective position I (-FIG. 1).

Now, after having moved the carriage 5 rightwards to bring the preset stop 7 at right of the counterstop 12, by depressing the tabulator key 16, the lever 15 is rocked counterclockwise and sets the counterstop 12 upwards. The counterstop :12 thus locates its element 13 on the path of the projection \11 of the preset stop 7. Furthermore,

the rocked lever 15 releases the carriage 5 from the escapement mechanism and is locked in the rocked position in a known manner.

The carriage 5 is now moved lefitwards by an appropriate spring not shown in the drawing, until the projection '11 of the preset stop 7 encounters the. element 13 of the counterstop :12. This latter causes now the escapement mechanism to-reengage the carriage 5, which. is thus arrested with the preset stop 7 in the transverse location corresponding to the printing point, that is the stop 7 returns in the same transverse location occupied when it was preset by the lever 17. Finally the counters-top 12 releases in a known manner the lever 15 which is restored clockwise by the spring 30.

In the case the stop 7 to be preset is displaced one step rightwards with respect to the printing point, that is the stop 7 is placed in front of the portion 23 of the lever 17 as shown in FIG. 3, by operating the lever 28, the lever 17 is rocked clockwise as in the above case. However, the stop 7 is now engaged by the portion 23 and is displaced from its ineffective position to the effective position II (FIG. 1). When the tabulator key 16 is then depressed, the counterstop '12 locates its element 14 onthe path of the projection 11 of the stop 7 so preset. The carriage is now arrested with the stop 7 displaced one step at right of the printing point, that is the stop 7 returns again in the transverse location occupied when it was preset.

It is thus clear that, despite the fact that the stops 7 are mounted at an interval twice the carriage step, the tabulating device may locate the carriage at any transverse location according to the step of the carriage.

If the tabulating device is provided with a set of denominational counterstops -12 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each stop 7 may engage the various counterstops 12 in a similar manner, as described for the leftmost counterstop 12.

' It is intended that modifications and improvements may be made to the described device without departing from the scope thereof. F or example, the stops 7 may be distanced at an interval more than twice the carriage step, provided that they are presettable in more than two effective positions and that the counterstops are provided with a number of elements equal to said positions.

What I claim is:

' 1. A tabulating device for a typewriter or similar machine having a carriage transversely movable step by step, comprising in combination:

(a) a plurality of presettable tabulating stops,

(b) a support connected to said carriage and mounting said stops at an interval equal to a predetermined number of steps of said carriage higher than one,

i (c) each one of said stops being presettable from an ineITect-ive position to a number of ditferent effective positions equal to said number of steps,

' (d) a manually operable member for individually presetti-ng said stops to one of said efiective positions according to the transverse location of said carriage with respect to the printing point of the machine,

(e) a manually settable counterstop on the machine,

I (f) and a number of elements on said counterstop associated with said eifective positions and mutually distanced by a distance equal to said step, each one of said elements when said counterstop is so set being located on the path of the tabulating stops preset in the associated effective position, said elements when encountered by one of said preset stops causing said counterstop to arrest said carriage in said transverse location, whereby said canriage may be tabulated at any transverse location according to said step by a number of tabulating stops equal to the number of steps divided by said number.

' 2. A tabulating device for a typewriter or similar machine having a carriage transversely movable step by step, comprising in combination:

(a) a plurality of presettable tabulating stops,

(b) a support secured to said carriage for supporting said stops at a transverse interval equal to a predetermined number of steps of said carriage higher than one,

(c) means comprised in said support for slidably mounting each one of said stops in a longitudinal direct-ion from an ineffective position to a number of effective positions equal to said number,

((1) a manually operable member for individually presetting said stops to one of said efiective positions according to the transverse location of said carriage with respect to the printing point of the machine, (e) 'a manually setta-ble counterstop on the machine, (f) and a number of elements on said counterstop equal to said number and associated with said effective positions and mutuallystransversely distanced ,by a distance equal'to said step, each one of said elements when said counterstop is so set being located on the path of the tabulating stops preset in the associated effective position, said elements when encountered by one of said preset stops causing said counterstop to arrestsaid carriage in said transverse location, whereby said carriage may be tabulated at any transverse location according to said step by a number of tabu-,

by said number.

3. A tabulating device for a typewriter or similar machine havinga carriage transversely movable step by step, comprising in combination:

(a) a plurality of presettable tabulating stops,

(b) as-upport connected to. said carriage and mounting said stops at an interval equal to a predetermined number of steps of said carriage higher than one,

(-0) each one of said stops being presettable from an ineffective position to a number of difierent effective positions equal to said number,

j (d) a manually operable stop preset-ting member,

(e) a number of portions on said member associated with said efiective positions and mutually distanced according to said step, each one of said portions when said member is so operated being adapted to preset a stop of said plurality located in front thereof to, v the associated one of said effective positions, whereby i said member presets said stop to one of said eflective positions according to the transverse location of said carriage,

" (f) a manually sett-able counterstop on the machine,

(g) and a number of elements on said counterstop associated with said eifective positions and mutually distanced by a distance equal to said step, each one of said elements when said counterstop is so set being located on the path of the tabulating stops preset in the associated effective position, said elements when encountered by one of said preset stops causing said.

counterstop to arrest said carriage in said transverse location, whereby said carriage may be tabulated at any transverse location according to said step by a number of tabulating stops equal to the number of steps divided by said number. 4. A tabulating device for a typewriter or similar machine having a carriage transversely movable step by step, comprising in combination:

(a) a plurality of tabulating stops presettable from an,

ineffective posit-ion to a pair of effective positions,

(b) a support connected to said carriage and mounting said stops at an interval twice the step of said cari U triage,

(0) each one of said stops being presettable to either one or the other of said pair of positions, a (d) a manually operable member for individually presetting said stops to one of said pair of positions ac-,

stops causing said counterstop to arrest'said carriage with the encountered stop in the same transverse location occupied when preset, whereby said carlating stops equal to the number of steps divided,

tiage may be tabulated at any transverse location according to said step by a number of tabulating stops equal to the number of steps divided by two.

-5. A tabulating device for a typewriter or similar machine having a carriage transversely movable step by step, comprising in combination:

(a) a plurality of tabulating stops presettable firom an ineffective position to a pair of effective positions,

(b) a support secured to said carriage and mounting said stops at a transverse interval twice the step of said carriage,

(c) each one of said stops being presettable longitudinally to either one or the other of said pair of positions,

(d) a manually operable member for individually presetting said stops to one of said pair of positions according to the transverse location of the stop with respect thereto,

(e) and a forked counterstop formed with a pair of elements associated with said pair of effective positions and mutually transversely distanced by a distance equal to said step, said counterstop being manually sett-able to locate each one of said elements on the path of the tabulating stops preset in the associated elfective position, said elements when encountered by one of said preset stops causing said counterstop to arrest said carriage with the encountered stop in the same transverse location occupied when preset, whereby said carriage may be tabulated at any transverse location according to said step by a number of tabulating stops equal to the number of steps divided by two.

6. A tabulating device for a typewriter or similar machine h-aving a carriage transversely movable step by step, comprising in combination:

(a) a plurality of tabulating stops presettable from an ineffective position to a pair of eifective positions, (b) a support secured to said carriage and mounting said stops at an interval twice the step of said carriage,

(c) a manually operable stop presetting member having an L-shaped projection,

(d) a portion on said projection adapted to individually set said stops when placed in a transverse position corresponding to the printing point of the machine,

(e) another portion on said projection adapted to [individually set said stops when displaced one step with -respect to said printing point,

(f) a manually settable counterstop on the machine,

(g) and a pair of elements on said counterstop associated with said pair of eifective positions and manually distanced according to said step, each one of said elements when said counterstop is so positioned being located on the path of said stops preset in the associated effective position, said elements when encountered by one of said preset stops causing said counterstop to arrest said carriage, one of said elements being adapted to be encountered when one of the tabulating stops accordingly preset reaches the transverse position corresponding to said printing point, the other element being adapted to be encountered when one of the tabulating stops accordingly preset reaches a transverse position displaced one step with respect to said printing point.

7. A decimal tabulating device for a typewriter or similar machine having a carriage transversely movable step by step, comprising in combination:

(a) a plurality of tabulating stops presettable from an inefiective position to a pair of effective positions,

(b) a support secured to said carriage and mounting said stops at an interval twice the step of said carriage,

(0) means for presetting each one of said stops to eithei' one or the other of said pair of positions,

((1) a set of manually settable counterstops denominationally arranged on the machine and mutually distanced according to said step,

(e) each one of said counterstops being formed with a pair of elements associated with said pair of eifective positions and mutually distanced according to said step, whereby each element of a predetermined counterstop lies in the same longitudinal plane of the other element of the adjacent counterstop, each one of said elements when the corresponding counterstop is so set being located on the path of the tabulating stops preset in the associated eifective position, said elements when encountered by one of said pre set stops causing the corresponding counterstop to arrest said carriage.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,318,002 10/1919 Waldheim 197179 2,247,014 -6/ 1941 Demmel 197179 X 2,297,254 9/ 1942 Schuler 197179 X 2,328,375 8/1943 Dobson 197179 X 2,517,306 8/ 1950 Gustavsson et a1. 197179 FOREIGN PATENTS 972,010 5/ 1959 Germany.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

E. S. BURR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TABULATING DEVICE FOR A TYPEWRITER OR SIMILAR MACHINE HAVING A CARRIAGE TRANSVERSELY MOVABLE STEP BY STEP, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) A PLURALITY OF PRESETTABLE TABULATING STOPS, (B) A SUPPORT CONNECTED TO SAID CARRIAGE AND MOUNTING SAID STOPS AT AN INTERVAL EQUAL TO A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF STEPS OF SAID CARRIAGE HIGHER THAN ONE, (C) EACH ONE OF SAID STOPS BEING PRESETTABLE FROM AN INEFFECTIVE POSITION TO A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT EFFECTIVE POSITIONS EQUAL TO SAID NUMBER OF STEPS, (D) A MANUALLY OPERABLE MEMBER FOR INDIVIDUALLY PRESETTING SAID STOPS TO ONE OF SAID EFFECTIVE POSITIONS ACCORDING TO THE TRANSVERSE LOCATION OF SAID CARRIAGE WITH RESPECT TO THE PRINTING POINT OF THE MACHINE, (E) A MANUALLY SETTABLE COUNTERSTOP ON THE MACHINE, (F) AND A NUMBER OF ELEMENTS ON SAID COUNTERSTOP ASSOCIATED WITH SAID EFFECTIVE POSITIONS AND MUTUALLY DISTANCED BY A DISTANCE EQUAL TO SAID STEP, EACH ONE OF SAID ELEMENTS WHEN SAID COUNTERSTOP IS SO SET BEING LOCATED ON THE PATH OF THE TABULATING STOPS PRESET IN THE ASSOCIATED EFFECTIVE POSITION, SAID ELEMENTS WHEN ENCOUNTERED BY ONE OF SAID PRESET STOPS CAUSING SAID COUNTERSTOP TO ARREST SAID CARRIAGE IN SAID TRANSVERSE LOCATION, WHEREBY SAID CARRIAGE MAY BE TABULATED AT ANY TRANSVERSE LOCATION ACCORDING TO SAID STEP BY A NUMBER OF TABULATING STOPS EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF STEPS DIVIDED BY SAID NUMBER. 